Additionally, Governor Fubara received a warning from Rivers State elders and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are allegedly loyal to Minister Nyesom Wike of the Federal Capital Territory (FTC) not to tamper with structures at the House of Assembly quarters.
According to the Presidency, President Bola Tinubu will not support either Governor Siminalayi Fubara or Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in their ongoing political dispute that is roiling Rivers State.
This occurred when the Rivers State government attacked the All Progressives Congress, led by Abdulahi Ganduje, yesterday for allegedly claiming that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had committed an impeachable act.
According to Joseph Johnson, the state commissioner for information and communications in Port Harcourt, Ganduje lacks the legal authority to discuss Governor Fubara’s impeachment.
Additionally, Governor Fubara received a warning from Rivers State elders and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are allegedly loyal to Minister Nyesom Wike of the Federal Capital Territory (FTC) not to tamper with structures at the House of Assembly quarters.
Meanwhile, court-suspended factional Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule has insisted that the structures at the Assembly quarters were in excellent condition, fully functional and currently occupied by the lawmakers and their family members.
In another development, youths of Rivers State have urged President Bola Tinubu to take action and call his FTC Minister, Wike, to order over the continued political crisis in the state.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this during an interview on TVC.
Ngelale said anyone with the belief that President Tinubu would take their side in the political crisis would be disappointed. According to him, President Tinubu won’t allow any attempt to frustrate the Rivers government.
He said: “I believe that anyone who believes that by their actions, whether it’s from the federal level, state level or the legislative branch in the state or the executive branch in the state, if they are banking on Mr. President to take sides on this matter, they’re mistaking and they’ll be disappointed.
“Mr. President will not do that. What he will do is to ensure that everybody has what they need in order to work.
“He will also ensure that any attempt to frustrate the operation of the Rivers State government in conducting its affairs in a way that it would benefit the Rivers people, that’s obviously is not going to be allowed by this President or anybody else.
“So, I think there’s a need for all stakeholders to understand that Mr President won’t take sides.”
You lack moral standing to talk about impeachment, Rivers govt tells Ganduje-led APC
Johnson noted that Fubara has not committed any offence that would warrant his impeachment, adding that Ganduje still has legal issues to clear himself from.
He said: “Gaduje is under the loose of the law. He has not even been able to clear himself from the challenges of what his ward that suspended him and other issues against him pending before the court.
“Is it Ganduja that will tell me that Fubara, who has no offence, Fubara who is as clean as the cover of a book should be impeached? He was the governor of a state and the state faced some issues of integrity. I would have expected that he finishes issues around his integrity before he talks about Fubara.
“Fubara cannot be impeached by the devices of cronies. There is nothing serious about his speech because Fubara is standing on a clean slate. Governor Fubarar has not committed any offence. Fubara had sometime in October, 2023, ask ‘what is my offence’ and nobody has been able to tell us what Governor Fubara has done.
“I, therefore, condemn that statement and say that Ganduje should go and look for his political bearing back home. Ganduje is the chairman of APC on acting capacity and there are legal impediments. In law, there are pendency that are hanging on Ganduje which cannot allow him to stand on a good ground to talk.”
Meanwhile, Rivers State elders and leaders in PDP and APC have warned Fubara not to tamper with structures at the House of Assembly quarters.
The leaders comprising past and current members of the National Assembly, local government chairmen and opinion leaders, yesterday, stormed the Assembly quarters on Port Harcourt-Aba expressway in a surprised visit to assess the condition of the buildings.
Some of the leaders include Kingsly Chinda, lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor at the House Representatives; Emmanuel Deeyah, former lawmaker, who represented Gokana/Tai Federal Constituency; Sen. Olaka Nwogu, who represented Rivers South-East senetorial district; Chief Tony Okocha, Rivers APC caretaker Chairman; Igo Aguma, former lawmaker, represented Port Harcourt federal constituency and Desmond Akawor, former PDP chairman, Rivers State among others.
The visit followed the recent visit of Fubara to the facility and the fears that the government was on the move to commence renovation work on the facility which would impede the Amaewhule faction of the House of Assembly.
On arrival at the quarters, Amaewhule had informed the leaders that there was a concluded plot by the governor to bring down the structures, the same way he demolished the House of Assembly complex.
Amaewhule said the structures were in excellent condition, fully functional and were currently occupied by the lawmakers and their family members.
He said: “This facility is the facility of the Rivers State House of Assembly. We have also brought in experts, engineers and there is nothing wrong with these structures. They are fully in use and fully functional. All the experts confirmed to us that this building is one of the best in the entire West Africa.
“This complex was constructed by the former Governor Wike and inaugurated in August 2022 by the current Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila. We are happy with the buildings and everything is working well.”
However, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, in his address said the leaders and elders were worried over reports of a planned demolition of democratic institution and decided to visit to assess the condition of the premises.
Chinda said: “As members of the National Assembly from Rivers State, we have joined the leaders and elders of the state to discuss the issues happening in our state, the latest being the threat to bring down the structures in this premises.
“We have commissioned engineers and experts to study and give us the report of the integrity of these structures. We have received the report. And the report says these structures have a lifespan of nothing less than 25 years.
“We have on our own come out to physically inspect the structures to crosscheck it with the report we received and these structures are still strong and healthy. Our apartments in the National Assembly are not better than what we have seen here.